Internal-combustion engine



0613811929. SITORLJE INTERNAL COMBUSTION I ENGINE Fil ed Aug. 2a, 1926 4sheets sneet .2

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Oct. 8, 1929. G. STORLE INTERNAL COMBUSTIQN ENGINE Filed Aug. 28. 1926 4Sheets-Sheet l; I I INVENTOR.

Oct. 8, 1929. G. STORLE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 28, 1926 4Sheets-Sheet 4 1y through two revolutions.

Patented Oct. 8, 1929 UNITED STATES GARFIELD STORLE, oi? TAGOMA,wAsHInc-ir'on INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE,

Application filed August 28, 1925. Serial Nb. 132,086.

This invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines,and more particularly to the valve-operating mechanism therefor. I

In internal combustion. engines having sleeve valves, such asin theso-called Knight motor, there are two sleeves for each cylinder, oneslidably fitted within the other. While use of the double sleeve valvefor each cylinder considerably increases the frictional resistance ofthe working parts of the engine, use of this double sleeve valve hasbeen found to be necessary in the construction used heretofore in orderto obtain sufficient v rapidity of opening and closing of the intake andexhaust ports for efiicient operation, the sleeves being moved inopposite directions by the valve-operating mechanism therefor to open orclose the ports, as the case may be. By means of this construction orarrangement, each sleeve need move only a distance equal to one-half theheight of a port to close or open the same, since the sleeves slide oneWithin the other in opposite directions.

The present invention contemplates the provision of an internalcombustion engine having-a single sleeve valve for each cylinder, andwherein the valve-operating mechanism imparts reciprocatory movement toeach sleeve valve at alternating retarded and accelerated rates, each ofthe single sleeves being accelerated in its movement and being moved atthe greater velocities during its operation to open and close theexhaust and intake ports during the respective exhaust and intakestrokes of the piston, the valve movement then being retarded a verysubstantial amount so that during the subsequent compression and powerstrokes of the piston the valve closes the exhaust and in take ports andmoves at the lesser velocities,

each of the sleeve valves being driven from and synchronized with thecrank shaft of the engine whereby each valvegoes through a completecycle of movement during the time elapsing for completion by theassociated piston of its complete cycle of movement, dur ing whichtimethe crank shaft rotates exact- One of the objects of the presentinven tion is to provide an improved engine of the character referred towherein the valve-oper ating mechanism is driven from the crank shaftand operates to impart alternating retarded and accelerating movementsto the valves, the acceleration of each valve taking place during itsoperation to-open and close the exhaust and intake ports and theretardation. of'the valve taking place during its operation to closeboth the exhaust and intake ports.

Another object is to provide, in an engine of the character referred to,improved means for connecting the sleeve valve to the operatingconnecting rod therefor and wherein such means operates to hold thevalve from turning about its longitudinal axis.

Another object is to provide an improved engine of the characterreferred to having a single sleeve valve for each cylinder and mechanismfor operating the valves in such wise that the single sleeve valves havethe same efficiency ofthe double sleeve valves used heretofore asregards rapidity of opening and closing of the ports while reducing to alarge degree the frictionalv resistance present in engines of this typeconstructed heretofore and employing the double sleeve valves for eachcylinder.

Another object is to provide an improved engine of the characterreferred to which is simple in construction and manner of operation, andwhich may be readily adjusted and assembled. I

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear. 7 7

For the purpose of illustrating the invention one embodiment thereof isshown in-the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevational viewpartly in section, some of the parts being removed for the sake ofclearness, the section being taken on the line 1 1 in Fig. 2; v

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, partly broken away, the sectionbeing taken on the line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line Figs. 4 to 9 arediagrammatical 'views.

partly in section, illustrating the various respective positions of theworking parts of one cylinder for different phases of operation thereof,the relative positions of the connecting rod, crank and journals beingshown in dotted lines as they would appear if viewed looking towards theleft in each figure, the true positions of the connecting rod, crank andjournals, however, being shown in full lines, the section being taken onthe line 2--2 in Fig.1;

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic side elevational view, showing a modification;and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional view, the section being taken on theline 1l--11-1n Fig. 10.

The engine includes the crank case 10 and the cylinder block 11 securedthereto by bolts 12 and provided with the four cylinders 13,

'14, 15 and 16, the pistons 17, 18, 19 and 20 operating in thecylinders, respectively, and the usual connecting rods 21, 22, 23 and'24. The cylinder block 11 is provided with the exhaust port 25 forcylinder 13, the intake port 26 common to cylinders 13 and 14, theexhaust port 27 common to cylinders 14 and 15, the intake port 28 commonto cylinders 15 and 16, and the exhaust port 29 for cylinder 16.

The connecting rods are mounted at their lower ends in the usual manneron the crank shaft 30 journaled in the crank case for rotation about anaxis extending longitudinally of the latter. The cylinders are eachprovided with the single sleeve valves 31, 32, 33

and 34, respectively, connected to and driven from the valve-operatingshafts 35, 36, 37 and 38 in the manner hereinafter more fully explained,the valve-operating shafts being interposed between the connecting rodsand supported for rotation about axes extending transversely of thecrank case. The single sleeve valve 31 for cylinder 13 is provided withthe exhaust ports 39 and the intake ports 40 arranged to move into andout of registration with the exhaust and intake ports 25 and 26,respectively, upon reciprocatory movement of the valve in the mannerhereinafter explained. The valve 31 is connected to its operating shaft35 through the connecting rod 41 pivotally connected at its lower end tothe crank arm 42 with which the adj acent end of this shaft is provided,the upper end of rod 41 fitting loosely between spaced lugs 43 which maybe formed integrally with the valve and being provided with an openingregistering with similar openings in the lugs for receiving the pin orbolt 44 having the square head 45.

The bracket 46, which may be fixed to the crank case by one of the bolts12, as shown in Fig. 2, is provided with the depending channel-shapedportion 47 loosely receiving the head 45 of the bolt or pin 44 forholding V the latter in place and against rotation about bolt head 45with bracket 46 also holds the valve against turning or rotary movementabout its own longitudinal axis. It will, therefore, be seen that uponrotation of the valve-operating shaft 35, vertical reciprocatorymovement will be imparted to the sleeve valve 31 whereby the latteroperates to open and close the exhaust and intake ports 25 and 26 ofcylinder 13.

The means or mechanism for rotating the valve-operating shaft 35includes the worm drive shaft 48 journaled in the cover plate of thecrank case for rotation about an axis extending longitudinally of thelatter, plate 49 being secured to the crank case by the bolts 50. Arotatable member or worm gearv 51 provided with the boss or collar 52 isloosely mounted on a pin 53 extending in wardiy from the cover plateparallel to the shaft 35 and which may have at one end a press fit inthe cover plate or which may be formedintegrally with the latter. Gear51 is arranged to mesh with the worm shaft 48 for operation thereby withits teeth angularly disposed, as shown in Fig. 2, so that upon operativerotary movement of shaft 48 in the direction of the arrow the coactionof the worm shaft with the teeth of gear 51 will drive the latter andalso urge the same axially of pin 53' toward cover plate 49, whereby thegear is held in position on pin 53. The pin 53 is eccentric to shaft 35and thus supports gear 51 for rotation about a fixed axis eccentric andparallel to the axis of rotation of shaft 35. A pair of spaced arms 53are formed integrally with boss 52 for rotation with gear 51 and looselyreceive a roller 54 loosely mounted on a pin 55 having ahead 56countersunk in one end of the roller, as shown, and a reduced end 57extending through the crank arm 58 fixed on shaft 35, pin 55 being heldin assembled relation with respect to arm 58 by the nut 59 threaded onthe reduced end 57, as shown in Fig. 2. The reduced end'of pin 55provides a shoulder engaging the outer face of arm 58 and preventingroller 54 becoming jammed and held againstfree rotary movement upontightening of nut 59, the head 56 holding the roller against outwardaxial movement along the pm.

The ratio between worm shaft 48 and gear 51 is one to two so thatforevery two revolutions of shaft 48 gear 51 will complete one revolution.The drive shaft 48 may be operated from and synchronized with crankshaft 30 through suitable gears 60 and 61 fixed on these shafts atadjacent ends thereof and connected by the chain 62, the ratio betweengears 60 and 61 being one to one so that upon rotation of crank shaft 30in the direction of the arrow through one revolution shaft48 will berotated in the samedirection through one revolution.

Upon every two revolutions o f shaft and the accompanying four strokesofpistons IT to complete the cycle, the valve-open ati n-g shaft andgearwill therefore rotate tl irough one complete revolution, gear 51rotating'at a uniform rateequal to one-half the rate of rotation ofcrank shaft 30. The rate of rotation of shaft 35, however, d ue'to theeccentricity of the axis of rotation of gear 51 with respect to that ofshaft 3'5, and the pin-and-slot driving connection between gear 5f andshaft 35, will vary between relatively wide limits, shaft 35- beingrotated through approximately one-fourth of a revolution d n-ring thefirst one-half revolution of gear 51 and being rotated throu'gn theremainingthree-fourths of a revolution upon completion of" the remainingone-half revolution of gear 51 Crank shaft 80 and gear 5f connected tothe latter therefore rotate at a uniform rate to impart alternatingretarded and accelerated movements tothe valve-operating shaft 35. p

The single sleeve valve 32' for cylinder 14 is also driven from the Wormshaft 48through mechanismidentical to that just described for valve 3 1and including a worm gear similar to gear 51 and mounted ona pin 68fixed in or formed integrally with cover plate 49 and being similar inconstruction and arrangement topin 53-. Likewise, the valve 33 forcylinder 16 is driven from shaft 48 through similar mechanismincluding aworm gear similar to gear 51 and loosely mounted on a pin 64 similar inconstruction and arrangement to pin 53" and carried by or fixed in coverplate 49; T he valve 34 for cylinder 16 is also driven from shaft 48through similar mechanism including a worm gear similar to gear 51 andmounted on a pin 65 similar in construction and arrangement topin- 53and fixed in plate 49. As indicated by'the arrows in Fig. I, the wormgears for operating valves 31 and 33 may be arranged to rotate in acounterclockwi e direction, while the gears for operating valves 32' and34 may be arranged to rotate in the reverse or clockwise directionwhereby axial thrust on worm shaft 48 is equalized.

Referring now to Figs. 4 to 9, the valveoperating mechanism operates asfollows:

Assuming'that the crank shaft 30'is rotatingin the usual manner at auniform rate in the direction of the arrows in these figures, whereinthe dotted line 66' represents the top of the piston when the same is initsuppermost position in the cylinder and the dottedline 67representsthe top of the piston when the same is in its lowermostposition, worm gear 51: and the spaced. parallel arms 53 fixed forrotation therewith will. be driven at a uniform. rate equal to: onehalfthe rate of rotation: of the crank: shaft, as. explained: above.

]in- Fig.4 the piston 17 is moving downat the end of crank arm 58 is atitsinnermost t position with respect to the spaced arms 53 so that upon.subsequent and continued rota,- ti'onorf arms 5.3 at the uniform rateand in the direction of the arrow, roller moves or slidesoutwardlywiith: respect to arms 53 due. f

to the eccentricity between pin 5.8 and shaft 35 whereby the latter isoperated with. an accelerating movement increasing roller 54approaches'the outer freeends of'arms 53.. As shown in Fig 5, whenpiston 17 has started upwardly on itsexhaust stroke andthe crank on thecrank shaft is about 70 degrees beyond bottom dead center, the valve 81is its lowermost position and the exhaust port 25 fully open, the roller54 being-relatively closeto. the i outer free ends of arms 53 wherebythe valveoperating shaft 35 is being rotated at a much greater rate thanwhen the parts are in their respective positions as shown niFi'g. 4. IIt is to be noted that in Fig. 5 the crank arm 42 is 1 in its bottomdead center position so that at this instant, when exhaust port 25 isfully open, thereis no movement of sleeve: valve 31;

In Fig. Gthe piston 17 is just about to complete its exhaust stroke, thecrank on crank shaft 30 being about 30 degrees before top dead centerand valve 31 being in position to just complete the closing of exhaustport 25.

In this position of the-ports the roller 54 is between the extreme outerends of arms 53 whereby valve-operating shaft 35 is rotating at themaximum velocity, so that bythe time piston 1'? begins to movedownwardly on its intake stroke in the direction of the arrow, as shownin Fig, 7, and the crank on crank shaft 30 is about 3.0 degreesbeyondtopdead center, shaft 35 will have been rotated: sufficiently to placevalve 31 in position with its ports 40 about to register with intakeport 26 to open the same, Upon continued rotation of gear 51 shaft 35will be rotated at a retarding rate since roller 54 will now begin tomove inwardly with respect to arms 53,. the arrange ment being such thatwhen piston 17 is intheposition shown in Fig. 8 and about to completeits intake stroke, valve 81 will be in posit-ion where its ports 40register with intake port 26 to fully open the same, the crank arm 42 atthis instant being in its upper dead center position: so that there isno movement of valve 3'1. w

lVhen thepi'ston 1 7 has completed its intake stroke and; starts to moveupwardly on its compression stroke, asshown in Fig. 9,.wherethe crank onthe crank shaft is about 30" ron degrees past bottom dead center, valve31 is in position to close both the exhaust and intake ports 25 and 26and is moving downwardly in the direction of the arrow at the minimumvelocity since roller 54 is at this time in its innermost position withrespect to arms 53. During the remaining part of the compression strokeof piston 17 and the great er part of its following power stroke, gear51 will rotate to move arms 53 from the position thereof shown in Fig. 9to the position thereof shown in Fig. 4, during which movement of thesearms roller 54 is in its innermostposition with respect thereto to causedownward movement of valve 31at the retarded rate and at the lesservelocities, thereby completing the cycle.'

In Fig. 1 piston 17 is beginning its upward exhaust stroke and thesingle sleeve valve 31 is beginning to move with an accelerated movementand is'in position to partly pen exhaust port 25. The cylinder 14 isabout to explode and the piston 18 operating therein about to movedownwardly on its power stroke, the sleeve valve 32 moving downwardlywith a retarded movement and closing both the intake port 26 and theexhaust port 27. The piston 19 operating in cylinder 15 is about tobegin its intake stroke, the single sleeve valve 38 moving upwardly withan acceleratec movement and about to open the intake port 28. The piston20, operating in cylinder 16, is about to begin its compression stroke,the sleeve valve 34 beginning to move with a retarded movement in adownward direction as shown by the arrow and about to close intake port28.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the improved valve-actuatingmechanism pro Vides for alternating retarded and accelerated rotarymovement of the valve-operating shaft 35, the latter being rotated at anaccelerated rate and at the greater velocities during movement of valve31 to open and close the exhaust and intake ports, while the shaft isrotated at a retarded rate and at the minimum velocities when the valveis in position to close both ports. The valves 32, 33 and 34 and theoperating shafts therefor also operate in like manner, as explained,with the same relative movements. By means of the present construction,therefore, a single sleeve is made to operatewith the same efficiency asthe double sleeves heretofore as regards the rapidity of opening andclosing of the ports, the single sleeve having the advantage overthedouble sleeves, however, in that it offers a substantially less amountof resistance to movement than the latter. It will further be seen thatin the improved valve-operating mechanism the crank arm 42 is in itsrespective dead center positions when the exhaust and intake ports arefully opened, this arrangement providing for a maximum area of portopening during the exhaust and intake strokes of the 1 iston.

It will further be seen that the worm shaft 48 is common to thevalve-operating shafts, and that the mechanism or means of which it is apart and which provides a driving connection between shafts 30 and 35,is carried and supported by the cover plate 49, and that upon removal ofbolts 50 and chain 62 plate 49 and the connecting means or unit carriedthereby may be readily removed for adjustment or for other purposes.

The junk-head 68 may be of any suitable construction and screwed intoplace as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a suitable gasket 69 being interposedbetween this head and the cylinder top piece 70 to provide a water tightfit at this point, the top piece T0 being secured in place by the bolts71. As shown in Fig. 8, the threads on the junk-head may be omitted topermit the same to be slipped into place and a washer 72 interposedbetween the junkhead and the cylinder top piece 78 to cover the joint at74 corresponding to the thread joint in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 1 0 and 11, beveled gears 75are substituted for the worm gear 51 and the other similar worm gr sreferred to, and similar beveled gears 76 arranged in mesh with gears 75and fixed on a shaft 77 corresponding to the worm shaft 48 and journaledin the cover plate 79, spaced iarallel arms 82 similar in constructionand arrangement to arms 53 being fixed with gears 75 on pins 80 ournaledin a wall or partition 81 cast integrally with plate 79 andcorresponding to pins 53', 63, 64 and 65 in Fig. 1. In other respects,the construction in Figs. 10 and 11 is identical to that shown in Figs.1 and 2, shaft 77 being driven from and synchronized with the crankshaft through a chain and pair of gears such as the chain 62 and gears60 and 61 in Fig. 2.

One embodiment of the invention has been shown and described but ofcourse various changes may be made such as in the size, shape andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. The combination with the crank shaft and valve-operating shaft of aninternal comating shaft through one complete revolution and to cause therate of such movement to vary between predetermined limits during saidrevolution of the valve-operating shaft;

3. The combination with the crank shaft and valve-operating shaft of aninternal combustion ("a gine, of a third shaft, means providing adriving connection between the crank shaft and said third shaft forcausing rotation of the latter at a substantially uniform rate, andmeans providing a driving connection between the third shaft and saidvalve-operating shaft for imparting to the latter alternating retardedand accelerated rotary movements.

4. The combination with the crank shaft and valve-operating shaft of aninternal combustion engine, of a crank fixed on the valve-operatingshaft, a member supported for rotation about a relatively fixed axiseccentric and parallel to the axis of rotation of the valve-operatingshaft, means for imparting rotary movement to said member, and meansfixed for movement with said member and engaging said crank to drive thevalve-operating shaft upon said movement of said member.

5. In an internal combustion engine having a valve-operating shaft, acrank fixed on I said shaft and provided at its end with a pin extendinglaterally therefrom, a gear supported for rotation about a relativelyfixed axis eccentric and parallel to the axis of rotation of said shaft,means providing a driving connection between said gear andshaft andincluding an arm fixed for rotation with said gear and for coaction withsaid pin, and means for rotating said gear.

6. In an internal combustion engine having a valve-operating shaft, acrank fixed on said shaft and provided at its end with a pin extendinglaterally therefrom, a gear supported for rotation about a relativelyfixed axis eccentric and parallel to the axis of rotation of said shaft,means providing a driving connection between said gear and shaft andincluding a pair of spaced arms fixed for rotation with said gear andreceiving and coacting with said pin, and means for rotating said gear.

7. In an internal combustion engine including a crank case having acover plate and a crank shaft and valve-operating shaft journaled insaid crank case, means carried by said plate and providing a drivingconnection between said shafts.

8. In an internal combustion engine including a crank case having acover plate, and a crank shaft and valve-operating sh aft ournaled insaid crank case, means carried by said plate and providing a drivingconnection between said shafts, said means including a gear supportedfor rotation about an axis eccentric and parallel to the axis ofrotation of the valve-operating shaft, a shaft journaled in said plateand connected to the crank shaft, and a gear fixed on said last-namedshaft and meshing with said first-named gear.

9. In an internal combustion engine including a crank case having acover plate, and a crank shaft and valve-operating shaft journaled insaid crank case, a gear carried by said plate for rotation about an axiseccentric movement about its own longitudinal axis.-

11. In an internal combustion engine of the sleeve-valve type, thecombinationwith the valve and operating rod therefor, of a boltconnecting'sa-id rod to said valve, and a relatively fixed bracketengaging the head of said bolt to prevent rotary movement of said valveabout its longitudinal'axis while permitting of operative reciprocator 1move ment of said bolt with said valve.

1 An internal combustion engine having a single sleeve valve for eachcylinder, an operating shaft for each sleeve valve, each shaft havingcrank pins at itsends, a connecting rod between one crank pin and eachsleeve valve, and a gear wheel for each operating shaft, each gear wheelbeing driven at a uniform rate and in synchronism with the engine andhaving spaced arms receiving the other crank pin of the associatedshaft, whereiy the shaft is driven with alternate accelerated andretarded motion to provide for rapid opening and closing of the valveand also for slowvalve movements during the compression and explosionstrokes, the connecting rod and crank p n of each valve being on deadcenter when the valve is open for intake and exhaust thereby permittingthe valve to remain momentarily stationary at such times.

13. An internal combustion engine having a single sleeve valve for eachcylinder, an operating shaft for each sleeve valve, a driving connectionbetween each operating shaft and its valve, a crank pin on eachoperating shaft, a rotatable element driven ata uniform rate and insynchronism with the'engine, and means rotating with said rotatableelement and having a sliding driving connection with the crank pinwhereby the crank pin is driven at different distances from the centerof rotation of the rotatable element during different phases of itsmotion so as to drive the operating shaft and consequently the valvewith alternate accelerated and retarded motion.

14;. An internal combustion engine having a single sleeve valve providedwith angularly and axially spaced intake and exhaust ports adapted forcoaction with corresponding ports of its cylinder an operating shaft foreach sleeve valve, a driving connection between each shaft and itsvalve, a rotatable i 10 element driven in synchronism with the enl gineand at a uniform rate, a crank pin on said shaft and a radial guidecarried by the rotatable element and receiving the crank pin forimparting alternate accelerated and retarded movements to the shaft andconsequently to the valve.

15. In an internal combustion engine of the type having a plurality ofcylinders and a common crank shaft for the cylinders having connectingrod bearings thereon, the

combination of a fixed main bearing interposed between two of saidconnecting rod bearings of the crank shaft, a valve operating shaftextending transversely of the axis 5 of the crank shaft and a bearingfor the valve operating shaft mounted on said main bearing.

In wltness whereof, I hereto afiix my s1gnature.

GARFIELD sroennw

